Former Judge Lilly fined over judicial campaign ads

COLUMBUS -- A five-judge panel ruled former Lorain County domestic relations court judge Paulette Lilly has to pay more than $2,000 in fines and court costs and receive a public reprimand for distributing campaign literature it found to be misleading.

Lilly was running the Democrat primary in March for domestic relations court. She left office in 2007, when she was defeated, but her campaign literature contained the phrase "Return Paulette Lilly Democrat for Judge Domestic Relations Court" and a photo of Lilly dressed in a judicial robe. There was no disclaimer that she is not a judge to the office she is seeking and hadn't served as judge in five years, according to court records.

Lilly was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and the cost of the proceedings as well as cost of proceedings from 2008, when she used the same phrases and photos in an unsuccessful campaign. A judicial panel then ruled Lilly was in violation of the judicial rules by using the word "re-elect" and a picture of herself wearing a judicial robe in her campaign literature, according to yesterday's ruling.

The cost of the proceedings were suspended on the condition that she have no future campaign conduct violations. Those fees equal $1,349.36.

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Lilly did not return calls seeking comment.

An Ohio Supreme Court office that monitors attorney conduct originally recommended the five-judge panel to hand down a cease and desist order and a $3,000 fine.

The complaint was filed to the Board of Commissioners on Grievances & Discipline last month in response to concerns voiced by former Lorain County prosecutor Jonathan Rosenbaum.

One of Lilly's opponent in the Democrat primary, Frank Janik, also complained about Lilly's literature -- specifically her use of the word "return," as well as her being pictured in a judicial robe. Both actions, Janik claimed, made Lilly falsely appear to be a sitting judge seeking re-election, which would violate ethical rules for judicial candidates.